Protect your heart from cold-weather assaults

Tuesday

Jan 22, 2013 at 2:00 AM

It's not your imagination.

Fina Bruce

It's not your imagination.

If you're noticing, as you age, that it's getting harder to breathe outdoors as the temperature drops, you're not alone. Seniors, individuals with heart disease and young children are among those who should use extra caution in cold weather, doctors advise.

"Because elderly people seem to be relatively insensitive to moderately cold conditions, they can suffer hypothermia without knowing they're in danger," says Carolyn Torella, regional communications director for the American Heart Association, Hudson Valley and Fairfield, Conn.

"As people age, their ability to maintain a normal internal body temperature often decreases."

People with heart disease or who have had a stroke — and those at high risk of these illnesses, plus diabetes — need to take certain measures during wintry conditions and heavy snowfalls, Torella says.

This includes people with a strong family history of heart disease/stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smokers, those who are overweight and the sedentary.

People with coronary heart disease often suffer chest pain or discomfort called angina pectoris when they're in cold weather, Torella says. Besides low temperatures, high winds, snow and rain also can steal body heat.

"Wind is especially dangerous, because it removes the layer of heated air from around your body," says Torella. "Similarly, dampness causes the body to lose heat faster than it would at the same temperature in drier conditions."

As we cope with the season's freezing blasts, the American Heart Association urges at-risk individuals to use caution to avoid sudden cardiac death and hypothermia, says Torella.

When going outdoors, even for a short time, be sure to dress for the weather. To keep warm, wear layers of clothing. This traps air between layers, forming a protective insulation.

In fact, warming up for 30 minutes indoors before you head out for a walk can be helpful. So can wrapping a fleece or wool scarf loosely around your nose and mouth to keep the air you breathe warm and moist.

Much of your body's heat can be lost through your head, and ears are especially prone to frostbite. So wear a hat and gloves, too.

Alcohol gives an initial feeling of warmth, but this is caused by expanding blood vessels in the skin, says Torella. Heat is then drawn away from the body's vital organs. Alcohol consumption and physical activity in harsh winter weather conditions can increase the likelihood of hypothermia.